TYNECASTLE STADIUM UPGRADE POTENTIAL - UEFA category 4 granted ( updated/merged )

[davemclaren]

40 minutes ago, upgotheheads said:

 

 

 

I'm a bit of an obsessive about this and every game I look at the stands and wonder how the stadium could be changed without knocking down the whole thing. For me it's not just about capacity, it's pitch size too.

The main factor is the corner stanchions which hold the floodlights and support the coat-hanger beams. They limit pitch size and also stop the corners being seated.

 

The only solution I can think of is to replace the four compression pillars with four Cantilever supports which would be placed back by the depth of the existing stands and in line with them, with cantilevers extended to support the coat hangers . The existing supports are not particularly massive, so it looks to me as if they are not supporting more weight than a cantilever system could manage.

 

Pitch size could be increased by removing one row of seats all round, which might reduce capacity by a thousand, but filling in the corners might add 4-5 thousand, (I'm guessing the figures). If this development could be accommodated along with a redevelopment of the Wheatfield we might end up with a stadium of around 26-28 thousand, (all figures up for argument).

 

 

 

 

This would have been the ideal solution but would surely be too expensive now. I remember that turning the pitch 90 degrees was a topic in the sixties and seventies.

In the seventies the topic was more about turning the stadium to face away from the pitch.

[trotter]

17 hours ago, Jambo-Fox said:

Great strategic planning …. so simple if the leadership have the correct vision!

 

Think big, develop the plan and then flawlessly execute it!

 

Build it and they will come!

♥️H♥️H♥️G♥️H

Slightly off topic, but that is the greatest stadium I've been to. Everything about it is just incredible. The noise, the stadium, the fanzone, the matchday experience, the atmosphere. Unbelievable.

[1953]

3 hours ago, Libertarian said:

I don't think that is true

 

You may well be correct, I'm just going by memory and it was quite a few years ago. What makes you think it's not true though?

[Watt-Zeefuik]

5 hours ago, EIEIO said:

My reading of the thread is that the Wheatfield could be extended by a few thousand seats and that's it without buying additional land from the NB distillery. However, the potentially explosive tanks within the NB distillery would prevent planning permission being granted as we are capped at 20K capacity as a result of planning permission restrictions when we built the new main stand.

I could well be wrong as there is some amount of pish slavered on this thread.

 

This is a good summary of my understanding.

 

A new cantilevered tier could be placed on top of the existing Wheatfield without much additional land, but it might run afoul of the current structure or be extremely expensive. (Or it might not?) It would certainly require some changes to the existing light and roof structure.

 

Alternately, the Wheatfield could be torn down and rebuilt.

 

There's plenty of room behind the Wheatfield for more structure, likely with need for demolition, and with the right agreement with NBDC the community pitch could be shifted away from the stand. That would be a far easier problem to solve than the ethanol, which is the biggest stopper on any expansion.

[doctor jambo]

5 hours ago, Pans Jambo said:

Would not be a ground-breaking feat of modern engineering to add a tier to the Wheatfield stand with more corporate hospitality areas. (maybe boxes and say 3000ish extra seats) but as you say, the safety issues with the ethanol tanks next door would be a big problem. Still, that would mean a capacity of around 23,000 (ish) which would be plenty IMO. Be an extra couple of million income per season....which would be handy.

I was never sure why 20000 people being killed in an ethanol fireball was OK, but 20001 being immolated was unacceptable 🧐

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

25 minutes ago, Led Tasso said:

 

This is a good summary of my understanding.

 

A new cantilevered tier could be placed on top of the existing Wheatfield without much additional land, but it might run afoul of the current structure or be extremely expensive. (Or it might not?) It would certainly require some changes to the existing light and roof structure.

 

Alternately, the Wheatfield could be torn down and rebuilt.

 

There's plenty of room behind the Wheatfield for more structure, likely with need for demolition, and with the right agreement with NBDC the community pitch could be shifted away from the stand. That would be a far easier problem to solve than the ethanol, which is the biggest stopper on any expansion.

Given the steepness of the Wheatfield I’d find it hard to imagine a second tier being added. That’s of course just one of many challenges. I do think that a rebuild of the Wheatfield is probably the most plausible of the options available (still unlikely in near term). But NBD remains a BD.

[Watt-Zeefuik]

Related to all of this, I just did a quick skim on NBDC's 2020 annual report. (Available here: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC001491/filing-history) I'm not a business analyst by trade but I've done these for volunteer positions I've held in the past.

 

tl;dr it doesn't really change anything being said here—the ethanol will be the big problem for any Tynecastle expansion for the near future.

 

A few highlights:

2020 was brutal for them financially for obvious reasons, but they don't see a long term threat to their business so long as the pandemic ends. One interesting tidbit is that they see the value of the land at the Wheatfield facility as a source of financial security, given that it's increased in recent years.

 

Something I learned was that NBDC are held by an employee stock ownership program (ESOP) trust. For Hearts purposes it probably means that they're going to be more conservative with relocation plans than a corporate-owned facility would be, that might decide independently to cash out and build a bigger facility somewhere else. Doesn't mean they wouldn't do it, just probably a bit less likely.

 

That said, they clearly know the value of the land they're sitting on, and there are multiple comments throughout about ongoing maintenance and replacement of machinery (as with any industrial business), as well as some inherent limitations to the site (as with any industrial site). It makes me think the endgame with NBDC might be when some housing developer approaches them with enough money that they can build an entirely new facility somewhere else.

[Watt-Zeefuik]

13 minutes ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

Given the steepness of the Wheatfield I’d find it hard to imagine a second tier being added. That’s of course just one of many challenges. I do think that a rebuild of the Wheatfield is probably the most plausible of the options available (still unlikely in near term). But NBD remains a BD.

 

Agreed. It would have to be very high up and extremely steep. I imagine UK H&S regulations don't allow for something as steep as La Bombonera, which is probably what it would take.

[Pans Jambo]

1 hour ago, doctor jambo said:

I was never sure why 20000 people being killed in an ethanol fireball was OK, but 20001 being immolated was unacceptable 🧐

True that. Maybe its just a nonsense story given life by JKB. 

[Pans Jambo]

1 hour ago, Led Tasso said:

 

Agreed. It would have to be very high up and extremely steep. I imagine UK H&S regulations don't allow for something as steep as La Bombonera, which is probably what it would take.

Flatten it amd start again. £20M +
 

What???? Weer minted mate!!!

 

 

[Watt-Zeefuik]

15 minutes ago, Pans Jambo said:

Flatten it amd start again. £20M +
 

What???? Weer minted mate!!!

 

 

 

Joking aside, I think that's probably what will happen eventually. But a bad idea right now or in the next few years IMO.

[Jim Panzee]

11 hours ago, chrisyboy7 said:

This debate has been great.....I suppose it wasn't intended to be an argument .....really just what's possible as everyone can clearly see that we will need to up things and if we cant grow then what's the point.....Its natural to a business to grow. I accept we will never have a big stadium but im sure there are ways it can be expanded up to a higher level on 2 sides.

Uh? 
 

I think you accused someone of living in a cave when they suggested this?

 

I suppose your post filled in a few days of boredom until our next match. 

[upgotheheads]

2 hours ago, Led Tasso said:

 

This is a good summary of my understanding.

 

A new cantilevered tier could be placed on top of the existing Wheatfield without much additional land, but it might run afoul of the current structure or be extremely expensive. (Or it might not?) It would certainly require some changes to the existing light and roof structure.

 

Alternately, the Wheatfield could be torn down and rebuilt.

 

There's plenty of room behind the Wheatfield for more structure, likely with need for demolition, and with the right agreement with NBDC the community pitch could be shifted away from the stand. That would be a far easier problem to solve than the ethanol, which is the biggest stopper on any expansion.

 

It depends on where the ethanol plant could be moved to and  if it's  possible at all, but I'm guessing that it would not be a show stopper in price terms. 

 

2 hours ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

Given the steepness of the Wheatfield I’d find it hard to imagine a second tier being added. That’s of course just one of many challenges. I do think that a rebuild of the Wheatfield is probably the most plausible of the options available (still unlikely in near term). But NBD remains a BD.

 

2 hours ago, Led Tasso said:

 

Agreed. It would have to be very high up and extremely steep. I imagine UK H&S regulations don't allow for something as steep as La Bombonera, which is probably what it would take.

 

I believe that new builds like the old stand would not be allowed to be as steep, but extensions to existing buildings might be allowed. It would need an escalator probably.

[pablo]

The Distillery, the Heroin factory and even the Caledonian Brewery should all be incentivised to move out of the area. 

[Hectormasson]

4 hours ago, Led Tasso said:

 

This is a good summary of my understanding.

 

A new cantilevered tier could be placed on top of the existing Wheatfield without much additional land, but it might run afoul of the current structure or be extremely expensive. (Or it might not?) It would certainly require some changes to the existing light and roof structure.

 

Alternately, the Wheatfield could be torn down and rebuilt.

 

There's plenty of room behind the Wheatfield for more structure, likely with need for demolition, and with the right agreement with NBDC the community pitch could be shifted away from the stand. That would be a far easier problem to solve than the ethanol, which is the biggest stopper on any expansion.

Rip it down , new stand completely9/10k seater two tiers, maybe a standing section ?    Might be the only way tynie can be made bigger..up to 25k capacity tops? Love to see it....

[Thomaso]

12 hours ago, John Findlay said:

The current Tynecastle cannot be extended there is simply no room to do so. 

The only way Hearts could get a 30,000 capacity stadium would be to move somewhere else. That is not happening anytime soon.

Good! ❤️

[Thomaso]

4 hours ago, Led Tasso said:

Related to all of this, I just did a quick skim on NBDC's 2020 annual report. (Available here: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC001491/filing-history) I'm not a business analyst by trade but I've done these for volunteer positions I've held in the past.

 

tl;dr it doesn't really change anything being said here—the ethanol will be the big problem for any Tynecastle expansion for the near future.

 

A few highlights:

2020 was brutal for them financially for obvious reasons, but they don't see a long term threat to their business so long as the pandemic ends. One interesting tidbit is that they see the value of the land at the Wheatfield facility as a source of financial security, given that it's increased in recent years.

 

Something I learned was that NBDC are held by an employee stock ownership program (ESOP) trust. For Hearts purposes it probably means that they're going to be more conservative with relocation plans than a corporate-owned facility would be, that might decide independently to cash out and build a bigger facility somewhere else. Doesn't mean they wouldn't do it, just probably a bit less likely.

 

That said, they clearly know the value of the land they're sitting on, and there are multiple comments throughout about ongoing maintenance and replacement of machinery (as with any industrial business), as well as some inherent limitations to the site (as with any industrial site). It makes me think the endgame with NBDC might be when some housing developer approaches them with enough money that they can build an entirely new facility somewhere else.

Thanks for this - very interesting. I think you are right - the NBDC land behind the Wheatfield will end up in the hands of a big house builder at a price we will never be able to compete with.

[King Of The Cat Cafe]

2 hours ago, Pans Jambo said:

Flatten it amd start again. £20M +
 

What???? Weer minted mate!!!

 

 

 

As an aside, the Gaelic Athletic Association are proposing to reconstruct Casement Park in Belfast.  For a 34,500 capacity, their estimate is £110 million.  Others say true cost would be £140 million.

 

As another aside, like Tynecastle Park, the current Casement Park is in the middle of a highly residential area and local people are protesting vehemently about the in increased footfall and inconvenience on match days.

[been here before]

[Jim Panzee]

43 minutes ago, been here before said:

Lol

[ADAM]

At the time I seem to remember reading that the Council imposed 2 key conditions at the outline planning stage for the new stand.

 

Permission was granted to proceed to full planning application stage on condition that:

1. Stadium capacity is restricted to a maximum of 20,000. (Reasons for applying condition included: overcrowding on narrow streets in local area, public transport capacity to disperse increased crowds, emergency vehicles access issues to local area due to increased crowds.)

 

2.The new stand is in continuity with the immediate environs. (This related to not exceeding the height of surrounding buildings including the local tenements and existing stadium stands.)

 

Would be hard, if not impossible, to see how these restrictions could be overcome in the future to increase capacity.

 

Edited November 11, 2021 by ADAM

[Libertarian]

14 hours ago, 1953 said:

You may well be correct, I'm just going by memory and it was quite a few years ago. What makes you think it's not true though?

I was there that evening and have no recollection of Hearts offering free tickets to OAP's.

[1953]

2 hours ago, Libertarian said:

I was there that evening and have no recollection of Hearts offering free tickets to OAP's.

Ok, but just because you have no recollection of it or didn't know about it at the time doesn't mean it didn't happen. 

[Pans Jambo]

12 hours ago, King Of The Cat Cafe said:

 

As an aside, the Gaelic Athletic Association are proposing to reconstruct Casement Park in Belfast.  For a 34,500 capacity, their estimate is £110 million.  Others say true cost would be £140 million.

 

As another aside, like Tynecastle Park, the current Casement Park is in the middle of a highly residential area and local people are protesting vehemently about the in increased footfall and inconvenience on match days.

I see your point but I just meant flatten the Wheatfield only. If the main stand was around £15-£18M (by the time its finished) my "guestimate" of £20M+ wouldn't be a million miles away.

 

Its a pipe dream anyway so more than likely moot!

[King Of The Cat Cafe]

32 minutes ago, Pans Jambo said:

I see your point but I just meant flatten the Wheatfield only. If the main stand was around £15-£18M (by the time its finished) my "guestimate" of £20M+ wouldn't be a million miles away.

 

Its a pipe dream anyway so more than likely moot!

Okay, and of course the cost of the new main stand included new front offices, shop, bar and restaurants, none (or few) of which would be needed for just a stand.

[ericb]

The stadium should/could be considerably upgraded, but not necessarily expanded.

 

Big screens hanging down from the trusses at each end.

Filling in corners (not with seats)

General paint/cladding

Utilise every spare space to make money (I know a lot of things are closed re COVID)

Get every seat filled (there are areas where people never sit) 

[OTT]

4 hours ago, ericb said:

The stadium should/could be considerably upgraded, but not necessarily expanded.

 

Big screens hanging down from the trusses at each end.

Filling in corners (not with seats)

General paint/cladding

Utilise every spare space to make money (I know a lot of things are closed re COVID)

Get every seat filled (there are areas where people never sit) 

 

I think you make a good point. Its worth tarting Tynecastle up as much as possible in the short term to try and enhance the match day experience as much as possible. screens would be a great addition. I would like to see safe standing explored too. I know in the UK its 1:1 so wouldn't increase capacity, but it would mean you're not locked into sitting the whole game and might help the fans most keen on trying to create an atmosphere group together - I know traditionally this is N & G but safe standing would probably help a bit in that regard. I recall Arsenal went the extra mile with seating too so that it was more comfortable -for older fans and families this might be worth exploring. 

 

Maybe in time the council might permit increased capacity. Strictly hypothetically, Gerry Mallon has experience in overseeing stadium redevelopment (Windsor Park) and Brian Muir has experience in crowd management so if it did reach the point where we need to appeal to the council for some goodwill, I think these guys could draw on their experience to try and offer expert advice in overcoming the councils objections. 

 

Additionally, land may open up over the next 20 years which could keep Hearts in the general area too so even if Tynecastle is absolutely 100% undevelopable then there is that chance. Slim though it may be.

[Libertarian]

18 hours ago, ADAM said:

At the time I seem to remember reading that the Council imposed 2 key conditions at the outline planning stage for the new stand.

 

Permission was granted to proceed to full planning application stage on condition that:

1. Stadium capacity is restricted to a maximum of 20,000. (Reasons for applying condition included: overcrowding on narrow streets in local area, public transport capacity to disperse increased crowds, emergency vehicles access issues to local area due to increased crowds.)

 

2.The new stand is in continuity with the immediate environs. (This related to not exceeding the height of surrounding buildings including the local tenements and existing stadium stands.)

 

Would be hard, if not impossible, to see how these restrictions could be overcome in the future to increase capacity.

 

The crowds in the local area. What about Murrayfield with a 67,000 capacity? Yet another example of football supporters being discriminated against by politicians. 

[Pans Jambo]

4 minutes ago, Libertarian said:

The crowds in the local area. What about Murrayfield with a 67,000 capacity? Yet another example of football supporters being discriminated against by politicians. 

Exactly. Sure there was over 25,000 at Tynecastle at a european game in the late 80’s & Gorgie coped with it then. 

[JohnB]

On 08/11/2021 at 16:35, chrisyboy7 said:

This is disapointing

No it's not. Disappointment has two P's.😉

[Hackney Hearts]

24 minutes ago, Pans Jambo said:

Exactly. Sure there was over 25,000 at Tynecastle at a european game in the late 80’s & Gorgie coped with it then. 

 

26,294 at the Bayern Munich game in 1989.

 

But the whole thing is nonsense - before stadium reconstruction, we had 7 crowds over 20,000 in 1991-92.

And obviously we've had 30k, 40k - even 50k+ in the past!

[WageThief]

5 hours ago, ericb said:

The stadium should/could be considerably upgraded, but not necessarily expanded.

 

Big screens hanging down from the trusses at each end.

Filling in corners (not with seats)

General paint/cladding

Utilise every spare space to make money (I know a lot of things are closed re COVID)

Get every seat filled (there are areas where people never sit) 

 

Fill the corners with what if not seats?

[Stu_HMFC]

12 minutes ago, WageThief said:

 

Fill the corners with what if not seats?

Advertisement 😂

[Stu_HMFC]

So much talk on expanding Tynecastle we haven’t had one sell out this season ?  (Apart from Hibs maybe )
 

If every game was a sell out and we had a waiting list for season tickets and a mad rush for general sale tickets, selling them using LP scheme then Hearts may look to do something about expanding. Until then these threads are pointless it won’t happen. 
 

Just reduce the away capacity to 1 section that include the old firm, Give Hibs the full stand if Hearts want to go down that route and keep them at a full Roseburn. 
 

We had over 18k at the game on Saturday but from the highlights still looked like a lot of empty seats down the bottom of the Main and Gorgie. 

[OTT]

41 minutes ago, Stu_HMFC said:

So much talk on expanding Tynecastle we haven’t had one sell out this season ?  (Apart from Hibs maybe )
 

If every game was a sell out and we had a waiting list for season tickets and a mad rush for general sale tickets, selling them using LP scheme then Hearts may look to do something about expanding. Until then these threads are pointless it won’t happen. 
 

Just reduce the away capacity to 1 section that include the old firm, Give Hibs the full stand if Hearts want to go down that route and keep them at a full Roseburn. 
 

We had over 18k at the game on Saturday but from the highlights still looked like a lot of empty seats down the bottom of the Main and Gorgie. 

 

I see the point you're trying to make but covid is an undercurrent to attendances this season. Celtic game would have been a sell out but was a reduced crowd, Hibs was in excess of 18k despite covid and if you look at the seasons since we've built the new stand we've consistently sold out, likewise against Celtic and Rangers. 

 

Personally I'm not advocating a 30/40k seater stadium. I think 23k would be perfect. We'd sell out against the OF, Hibs and close with Aberdeen giving us 8/18 home games as real money makers for the club which in turn should lead to better players creating greater consistency breeding more success. There's cup games too and potential for European nights. We should be looking for a stadium that is big enough to allow us to take advantage of short term success without creating an echodome. I think 23k offers us exactly that. 8 great games a season, more if we're doing well and there is a feel good factor. 

 

Its all just debate just with the limitations the site has anyway though. But I do think we should be more optimistic. We're finally being run properly on and off the field which gives us a great platform for sustained consistent success.  

[Stu_HMFC]

33 minutes ago, OTT said:

 

I see the point you're trying to make but covid is an undercurrent to attendances this season. Celtic game would have been a sell out but was a reduced crowd, Hibs was in excess of 18k despite covid and if you look at the seasons since we've built the new stand we've consistently sold out, likewise against Celtic and Rangers. 

 

Personally I'm not advocating a 30/40k seater stadium. I think 23k would be perfect. We'd sell out against the OF, Hibs and close with Aberdeen giving us 8/18 home games as real money makers for the club which in turn should lead to better players creating greater consistency breeding more success. There's cup games too and potential for European nights. We should be looking for a stadium that is big enough to allow us to take advantage of short term success without creating an echodome. I think 23k offers us exactly that. 8 great games a season, more if we're doing well and there is a feel good factor. 

 

Its all just debate just with the limitations the site has anyway though. But I do think we should be more optimistic. We're finally being run properly on and off the field which gives us a great platform for sustained consistent success.  

Fair point man 

[Jambo-Fox]

1 hour ago, Stu_HMFC said:

So much talk on expanding Tynecastle we haven’t had one sell out this season ?  (Apart from Hibs maybe )
 

If every game was a sell out and we had a waiting list for season tickets and a mad rush for general sale tickets, selling them using LP scheme then Hearts may look to do something about expanding. Until then these threads are pointless it won’t happen. 
 

Just reduce the away capacity to 1 section that include the old firm, Give Hibs the full stand if Hearts want to go down that route and keep them at a full Roseburn. 
 

We had over 18k at the game on Saturday but from the highlights still looked like a lot of empty seats down the bottom of the Main and Gorgie. 

Yep there are a lot of us that have season tickets that don’t use them regularly! However when it looks like a sell out (only Hibs this season so far) we let the club re-sell them!

[Bazzas right boot]

11 hours ago, King Of The Cat Cafe said:

Okay, and of course the cost of the new main stand included new front offices, shop, bar and restaurants, none (or few) of which would be needed for just a stand.

 

More skips needed tho to remove the rubble from the wheatfield.

 

Plus, harder to knock down

The big bad wolf can't be used either, unlike last time. 

 

Think of cost of that. 😁

[Bongo 1874]

4 hours ago, Libertarian said:

The crowds in the local area. What about Murrayfield with a 67,000 capacity? Yet another example of football supporters being discriminated against by politicians. 

Spot on. 

 

[Kiwidoug]

Where's the maroon trees? Budge oot.

[Pans Jambo]

2 hours ago, Kiwidoug said:

Where's the maroon trees? Budge oot.

To be fair...it's autumn man!

 

Wouldn't be a single maroon leaf on the things.

 

[Stu_HMFC]

18 hours ago, ericb said:

The stadium should/could be considerably upgraded, but not necessarily expanded.

 

Big screens hanging down from the trusses at each end.

Filling in corners (not with seats)

General paint/cladding

Utilise every spare space to make money (I know a lot of things are closed re COVID)

Get every seat filled (there are areas where people never sit) 

Agree mate. The inside walls of the stadium need to be boarded up I'd like to see murals painted on them but if that was too much even boarding it up with Plywood and paining it maroon. 

 

Screen would be good too but I don't really see much use for them other than when the lines up are read their names and pictures pop up and advertisement during half time. 

 

 

[Phil D. Corners]

32 minutes ago, Stu_HMFC said:

Agree mate. The inside walls of the stadium need to be boarded up I'd like to see murals painted on them but if that was too much even boarding it up with Plywood and paining it maroon. 

 

Screen would be good too but I don't really see much use for them other than when the lines up are read their names and pictures pop up and advertisement during half time. 

 

 

Kiss cam 

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

56 minutes ago, Phil D. Corners said:

Kiss cam 

Featuring Cammy Devlin and [insert goalscorer].

 

Anyway, glad to have your expertise on this thread finally.

 

[Hectormasson]

22 hours ago, ericb said:

The stadium should/could be considerably upgraded, but not necessarily expanded.

 

Big screens hanging down from the trusses at each end.

Filling in corners (not with seats)

General paint/cladding

Utilise every spare space to make money (I know a lot of things are closed re COVID)

Get every seat filled (there are areas where people never sit) 

Was told the screens were there, but not yet put up? Club source etc.

[chrisyboy7]

18 hours ago, JohnB said:

No it's not. Disappointment has two P's.😉

Yes well done you.....sometimes you can't be assed checking before sending...

[chrisyboy7]

So as its stands...we have a very good exchange in views here....I'm very surprised that people are happy staying at the current size considering the amount of good players we lose due to our limited budget....But if you understand this thread as you should. It's to see if future upgrading of the stadium is possible.   It is for me a very important question as if we are stuck here then there isn't much else we can do......A rise of anywhere between 4-6k would bring in a good income boost over the seasons including incorporating a bar at the wheatfield end too.  I think we reached around 14 million in income which was a club record a few seasons ago....a target of 20 without adding player sales etc would be a huge jump and aid the club. Giving it a better negotiating position when trying to get that better player, also may help in keeping them longer too.....giving us  a higher fee in the process....I would hope the club is looking at this as the ground will sell out soon due to the huge rise in supporters flooding back along with almost 8800 foundation contributors too.

This should remain a positive debate.... As I'm sure we all want the best and to have as much hope of challenging at the top as we can for many years...not the usual 1 in 8.....   

Those stupid seemingly explosive tanks will need removed so we can expand may one day happen.....Even if the club help with the costs..  The stadium was here before them eh.....How they where given permission to put them there is nuts...Anyway roll on the Motherwell game Jambos.....

[davemclaren]

12 minutes ago, chrisyboy7 said:

So as its stands...we have a very good exchange in views here....I'm very surprised that people are happy staying at the current size considering the amount of good players we lose due to our limited budget....But if you understand this thread as you should. It's to see if future upgrading of the stadium is possible.   It is for me a very important question as if we are stuck here then there isn't much else we can do......A rise of anywhere between 4-6k would bring in a good income boost over the seasons including incorporating a bar at the wheatfield end too.  I think we reached around 14 million in income which was a club record a few seasons ago....a target of 20 without adding player sales etc would be a huge jump and aid the club. Giving it a better negotiating position when trying to get that better player, also may help in keeping them longer too.....giving us  a higher fee in the process....I would hope the club is looking at this as the ground will sell out soon due to the huge rise in supporters flooding back along with almost 8800 foundation contributors too.

This should remain a positive debate.... As I'm sure we all want the best and to have as much hope of challenging at the top as we can for many years...not the usual 1 in 8.....   

Those stupid seemingly explosive tanks will need removed so we can expand may one day happen.....Even if the club help with the costs..  The stadium was here before them eh.....How they where given permission to put them there is nuts...Anyway roll on the Motherwell game Jambos.....

The distillery has been on that site since 1885. We have been on our current site since 1886. 

[jambonian]

18 hours ago, Pans Jambo said:

Exactly. Sure there was over 25,000 at Tynecastle at a european game in the late 80’s & Gorgie coped with it then. 

 

When i started going to Tynie in 1982 the stadium capacity was about 29,000. Throughout the 80s and early 90s crowds like that were available there for Hibs, Celtic, Rangers and European matches. Seating reduced capacity drastically when the Wheatfield was built then the other two. We have available space potentially behind McLeod Street and Wheatfield but not Gorgie Road. Shame it was designed the way it was as there's the space for a couple of thousand more in each corner. Floodlights along the edges of the stands is the only way to get rid of the pylons but the structure if it being built from the front has probably scuppered that. Look at Easter Road. They built from the back and can use/fill in corners if they want. They have with the new screens, something we should've thought of when the new stand was being built, particularly where that police box is at the corner between new stand and Gorgie where people can't see part of the pitch anyway. Most new stadiums nowadays are built with screens in mind and although it's not an essential part of a stadium, it's 2021 and most, if not all will have them within their development in the next few years.

[The Hogfather]

Can't expand the Roseburn because of the school (soon to be housing).

Can't expand the Gorgie because of the buildings behind that.

Can't expand the Wheatfield because of the distillery and properties in Wheatfield Street.

Can't fill in the corners because the roof will collapse without the floodlights holding it up.

 

Aye, seems plausible.